Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A relaxing Christmas vacation turns into a terrifying fight for survival as the children begin to turn on their parents.
The Children is a competent British holiday horror that executes its killer-kids premise with genuine tension and dread, but the core concept—children turning murderous during a family holiday—treads well-worn ground. The acting is solid across the board, with the child performers being particularly unsettling. The cinematography is functional and occasionally atmospheric, making good use of the wintry rural setting. The plot is lean and effective but offers little beyond its setup. The ending maintains the bleak, unresolved tone that suits the genre but doesn't transcend it. Overall a serviceable genre entry that delivers its scares without distinguishing itself.